April 1, 2010 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on BandWagon RVs Targets Traveling Band Market

BandWagon RVs, an Indiana-based firm that leases motorcoaches to traveling bands, has set a lofty goal. The firm now leases seven coaches to bands but hopes to quadruple its market penetration.

“We are shooting for 30 by Warped Tour and Mayhem next year,” agent Jeremy Clarke told Noisecreep magazine at the South by Southwest music festival, where he parked the vehicle for bands, managers and label execs to see firsthand. “It’s half the price of bus. It sleeps eight and there is a ninth bunk for the driver or a friend or merch person who tours with you.”

BandWagon RV offers RV coaches that are cheaper than — but every bit as luxurious as — full-sized buses, with metallers like High on Fire, Behemoth and Alesana employing them. The company estimates that the total cost for a 25-date tour is $7,500, sans fuel, which is half the price of a budget-gobbling bus.

The magazine noted, “The economical BandWagons are roomy. In fact, they’re six inches wider than a regular tour bus, yet feature all the same amenities. They are perfect for entertaining the ladies, for eating, for working. They make the often stressful life on the road a bit more bearable. You have to be 25 to drive and rent one, but it doesn’t require a CDL. (That’s a commercial driver’s license!) There is also a shower and a toilet, so you don’t have to rough it. BandWagons are affordable and comfortable.”